Legislator, parents address school board about concerns

During the most recent meeting of the White County School Board, several residents addressed the elected members to express concerns about varying issues within the school system.

The first of the visitors to address the meeting told the board  she had attempted to contact director of schools Kurt Dronebarger about the possibility of continuing homebound or virtual learning services for her son, as her daughter has been placed on long-term homebound because of a severely compromised immune system, but she had not received any communication.

“I have not spoken to you directly, but would be happy to do so later,” Dronebarger originally answered the response.

Dronebarger later stated he had originally referred her messages to Bryan Haley, who, as attendance supervisor for the White County school system, was in a better position to answer her questions and assist the family in understanding the options available to them.

“As a system, we have been in communication with you,” Dronebarger said.

Further into the meeting, the parent, who did not identify herself when she spoke, presented the board with a letter from her attorney and then asked if there were specific policies for cleaning during the COVID-19 epidemic, to which she was told there weren’t policies but there were procedures, which included chemical sprays, disinfecting wipes, and germicide bombs for buses, among other things.

“There are a number of things being done,” Dronebarger responded, and then, when asked if those things were in place for students with handicaps, reinforced that the district is concerned with the safety of all students. “We clean for all students. If there is a 504 or an IEP, then of course we address that.”

Another resident in attendance told the board she felt the district needed to focus more on critical thinking as she was hearing that many of the students were needing remedial courses when they entered colleges and higher education facilities.

“Every learner is different,” Dronebarger responded. “We also have many different students who don’t need remedial classes and students who enter Ivy League schools.”

The same resident also made the statement that she felt there were items of sexual nature in the curriculum of young students but did not provide specific examples, to which Dronebarger informed her that if she could provide those examples, he would be happy to have Angela Fresh, the elementary curriculum supervisor, investigate the claim.

Paul Sherrell, who is both a parent of a White County High School senior and White County’s representative to the state legislature, took a turn at the microphone.

“Why here in White County that we send millions of dollars to White County for our school. Why do we have to charge our students to park in the parking lot. $15 to park in the parking lot,” Sherrell said.

Sherrell said he spoke to Dronebarger about the matter, and  he had been informed the district had recently spent $275,000 to resurface the school’s front parking lot, but that he felt that was done with money sent from the state.

“We send a lot of money here,” Sherrell said. “I can’t understand with the money that comes in why do our students have to pay to park in the parking lot? Do our teachers? Do I? We are discouraging instead of encouraging our students. They don’t need to be paying $15 to park.”

“I’ll say the same thing as when he called me. It’s a reserved parking spot. There are other spaces you don’t have to pay to park in. Those are free,” Dronebarger responded to the question and said that half of the money from the reserved parking space fees comes back to the school for maintenance.

“The state does send a tremendous amount of money – but it’s not enough,” he continued. “They fund the BEP – BASIC education program. It’s the bare minimum. They fund RTI but only one position for the whole district. One person for the Intervention and remedial for the hundreds of students in the county.  I’m funded for one nurse for the whole district - one nurse for eight schools.  I’m not going to listen to that we get plenty of money.”

Sherrell then asked about students who will be graduating in December, saying that he had been told by Dronebarger that he would only have to pay half of the fee, but was charged the full amount earlier that day.

“I’ll get you the $7.50 back,” Dronebarger informed him, and then stopped him when Sherrell said it wasn’t just his son but all of the students who would only be attending White County High School for half of the school year saying that the message had simply not been relayed to the office in time. “Your point’s been made, and we will address it. We will be sure that if they are graduating, we will get half their money back to them.”

Sherrell also stated  he would like to look into the possibility of adding a turning lane on Highway 70 for traffic turning into  BonDeCroft Elementary School but knows that it’s a state road, so he will see what steps need to be taken.

During the meeting, the board also elected officers for the upcoming year. Jayson McDonald was unanimously reelected as chairman, while Bob Young also received unanimous support for continuing as vice chairman. Dewayne Howard was elected to replace Diana Haston as the board’s Tennessee Legislature delegate.

In other business, the board heard preliminary reports from the previous year’s TCAP achievement scores, which showed that White County scored first among the Upper Cumberland school districts in third grade reading, sixth grade math, and seventh grade social studies, while coming in sixth in seventh grade math scores.

The next meeting of the White County School Board is set for 6 p.m., Sept. 9, at White County Middle School.